CTA Members Refuse to Leave Capitol and Demand Passage of Tax Extensions to Keep Deeper Cuts Away from Schools, Colleges and Essential Public Services

MEDIA RESOURCES: Go to www.castateofemergency.com, click on ‘Media Resources’ and enter the password ‘report’ to download high-res photos and video of select State of Emergency events and to see what’s happening next. We will also be streaming live video of the State Of Emergency Rally in Sacramento on www.castateofemergency.com beginning at 4:45 p.m. on Friday, May 13.

SACRAMENTO – CTA President David A. Sanchez and 26 other educators took a stand for students this evening by refusing to leave the offices of Senate Republican Leader Bob Dutton and Assembly Republican Leader Connie Conway. The educators were peacefully arrested by the California Highway Patrol following a fourth day of actions in the State Capitol. The following statement can be attributed to CTA President David A. Sanchez:

“Today, I took a stand for the millions of California students who are being robbed of their future. I refused to step aside while California’s public schools and colleges go without the vital resources they need. Our schools and colleges have been cut $20 billion in the past three years, and without action by California lawmakers, will endure another $4.1 billion in cuts next year. Enough is enough. Our students deserve better and our state can do better.

“The Republicans' proposal from today shows they are clearly out of touch with what California students need, and is built of the same gimmicky principles that have plagued California’s budget process for years. While I’m glad they have issued a press release promising to protect public education funding, I’m insulted that they think their plan will do that. It’s a deliberately misleading and tardy scheme designed to trick voters into thinking it’s a real solution. Just look at the numbers: a $14.5 billion deficit can’t be erased by $2.5 billion in unexpected one-time revenue.

“I am not willing to sit idle while a handful of Republican lawmakers in the state Senate and Assembly refuse to face the realities happening in the classrooms and communities across California. So a few CTA members decided to visit two of them to today to let them know that we are in a state of emergency and it’s time they started acting like it.”

Tomorrow thousands of educators, parents, students and community members will culminate the week with rallies in Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Bernardino and San Diego.

The 325,000-member California Teachers Association is affiliated with the 3.2 million-member National Education Association.